My first public appearence was fifth grade choir and class room stuff. grammer school in those days had singing and everyone seem to love it. California had an official song book that included W. Guthrie,s "This Land","Columbia Roll On", Happy Wanderer and Forty Niner. Singing and music should be as mandatory as english and math subjects. Of course it's not for everyone, neither is football, track, basketball, but I think we all had some form of required PE classes that helped build us into functioning citizens. I was a late bloomer as a singer of songs. My wife bought me my first guitar for my thirtieth birthday and created an instant monster. I've got 20 plus years of singing and playing and love every minute of it.Thank you California school system for introducing music in the school. Would'nt that be a great program to re-introduce? I wish more people could be like us and sing out their frustrations and ventilate their angers with song instead of violence. Jack mostly folk